The University of Murcia (UMU) is the most important teaching and research organization of the Region of Murcia. It is a public institution devoted to providing higher education in different programs in science, technology, and humanities. The university has more than 29,000 students; with a teaching staff of 2,612 professors spread over 4 campuses.

Research is one of the pillars of our University, covering 8 scientific areas: Economy, Health, Experimental, Law, Social, Technical, Humanities, and Mathematics. There are currently 312 Research Groups and 6 Institutes of Research are either created or in the process of constitution: Water and Environment, Ageing, Optics and Nanophysics, Political Studies “Saavedra Fajardo”, Vegetal Food and Health, and Information and Communication Applied Technologies.

The University of Murcia has extensive experience in hosting collaborative projects and promoting research excellence in a learning environment. Our University has also a large experience in the management of research projects. More than 120 European projects belonging to different Frames RTD Programmes have been managed in the past, 12 of them within the 7th FP. At the National level, 198 RTD projects were funded during the past year alone. The European and International Research Project Office -Operum- is the university’s office in charge of proposal preparation and submission of international projects as well as management and control of these projects once they have been approved.

The University of Murcia, together with its neighbouring Polytechnic University of Cartagena, leads Campus Mare Nostrum 37/38, a consortium that has been awarded the status of International Campus for Regional Excellence by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science. This consortium is a joint effort of international organizations, research centres, technology parks, companies, and administrations, seeking to transform the Region of Murcia into a pole of international, high-quality education, science, business, and culture in the Mediterranean area.

The University of Murcia has a large and rich tradition in multi-cultural and multi-lingual academic cooperation and mobility which is closely related to the growth of the Eramus programme.
The International Relation Office was created in 1994. Nowadays, this office counts on 3 sections: International Mobility, International Projects and Development, and Administration Section. The University, through this Office, took part as a partner and as coordinator in numerous European Union programmes and other actions sponsored by different national and international financial entities from both the public and private sector. Erasmus Mundus, Tempus, Leonardo Da Vinci, Alfa, Culture 2000, Asia-Link, LLLP or External Cooperation Window are only some of them.